If you're subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you're also subject to the Equal Pay Act. The Equal Pay Act is part of the federal wage and hour laws and requires you to provide equal pay for equal work.

The Act is very limited in its scope. It applies only to pay differences between men and women. In a nutshell, it says that you can't pay an employee of one gender less than an employee of the opposite gender who is doing the same or substantially the same work.

Pay inequities based on membership in protected groups other than gender groups are covered by federal antidiscrimination rules. Equal pay requirements apply to executives, administrative and professional employees, and salespeople who are exempt from other FLSA provisions.

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